What if you aren't near your PC?
I have a need to adjust my X, Y, and Z settings while on the far side of my machine, away from the keyboard. Some people are using an XBox wireless controller to do this, but I don't trust RF in my environment, so wanted a wireless one. There are wired XBox 360 controllers available, but I decided to use what I had, which was a $13 Targus PAUK10 usb controller. This device with no special drivers or modification will give you X, Y, and Z control, and with simple keyboard re-mapping, will allow use of the shift key or macros, which are some projects for the future. Here is a picture:
